1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an image forming apparatus and an additionally installable apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
In conventional image forming apparatuses such as a printer, a photocopier, a facsimile machine, and the like, for example, the printer can be installed with at least one additionally installable feeding tray in such a manner that the additionally installable feeding tray is detachably disposed to a lower side of a main body of the printer (see, e.g., Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-225,971).
Upon installment of the additionally installable feeding tray, an additionally installable feeding tray to be newly installed can be positioned so that the printer does not fall down and that papers can be fed stably to, e.g., the main body or the additionally installable feeding tray which is already installed on an upper level.
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the conventional printer.
In FIG. 2, numeral 50 is a printer, numeral 51 is an apparatus main body, and numerals 52, 53 are additionally installable feeding trays. The apparatus main body 51 constitutes a main body side device while the additionally installable feeding tray 52 constitutes the additionally installable apparatus in a case of installment of the additionally installable feeding tray 52. The apparatus main body 51 and the additionally installable feeding tray 52, on the other hand, constitute the main body side device while the additionally installable feeding tray 53 constitutes the additionally installable apparatus in a case of installment of the additionally installable feeding tray 53.
A positioning post 55 is formed as projecting upward at a predetermined portion on an upper surface of respective exterior covers of the respective additionally installable feeding trays 52, 53 whereas a positioning hole 57 is formed at a position corresponding to the positioning post 55, at a lower surface of the respective exterior covers of the apparatus main body 51 and the additionally installable feeding trays 52, 53.
Therefore, the additionally installable feeding tray 52 can be positioned with respect to the apparatus main body 51 and combined therewith upon fitting the positioning post 55 into the positioning hole 57, so that the additionally installable feeding tray 53 can be positioned with respect to the apparatus main body 51 and the additionally installable feeding tray 52 and combined therewith.
With the above described conventional printer, however, the position of the positioning post 55 cannot be viewed upon installment of the additionally installable feeding trays 52, 53 since the positioning post 55 is hidden behind the apparatus main body 51 and the additionally installable feeding tray 52, thereby making installation operation difficult.
An object of this invention is to solve the above problems in the conventional printer and to provide an image forming apparatus and an additionally installable apparatus capable of simplifying the installment operation of the additionally installable apparatus.